Exploring the Future of Publishing

“Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport!The thrill of victory…and the agony of defeat!
The human drama of athletic competition!
This is ABC’s Wide World of Sports!“

When it came to sports, I grew up with Jim McKay and ABC’s Wide World of Sports. The stories, the action, different cultures and the world it brought into my living room through our small color Zenith TV. ??When not picking up a game of street hockey, neighborhood football down at the old park or summer little league, sports came into my life through the television. I was never drawn into listening to classic announcer Johnny Most calling a Celtics game on the radio – or reading the Sports section of the Boston Globe or even read one article in Sports Illustrated. To me, sports was hands on and a visual media to be experienced – not via print or radio.

Traditional print content producers are starting to realize this as well. Some are a little too late to the game, not evolving quickly enough, but others are embracing development of different digital channels and content formats to reach a wider audience. Providing different choices for choice audiences to experience and immerse themselves in great content through different media options.

This is why I love the recent Time Inc. vision of the future magazine using a tablet device. If you can’t view the video below, you can also check it out on YouTube.

It seems that every major magazine publisher has an idea of how their magazines should look on the upcoming tablet of newspaper salvation. The demo showcases interactivity, video, and several different ways of browsing through the content.

Outside of the disturbingly inhuman looking, slow moving hand that flips through the pages – I find myself for the first time wanting to immerse myself within Sports Illustrated content. In time, I may find myself loving the style of writing that they’ve been recognized for and get to know some of the sub-brands within SI which would encourage me to spend more time with their journalists and reporters and pick up an issue (read: more money for Sports Illustrated).

When the content is great, it lives to be freed. And with the variety of creative ways content can be developed, engaged and distributed through digital and social channels, the future of great publishing could be and should bright. The new generation of eBook readers showcased at CES earlier this month is another step in the right direction – creating a virtual newsstand in your hand.
The Future of Publishing Should Localize, Specialize and Socialize

Consumer and B2B magazines may have been on the ropes this year, but custom content had a record-setting 2009.

According to a Custom Publishing Council study, more than $1.8 million was spent on branded content this year per company surveyed. Of that budget, print still ruled, garnering 51% of the spend, with Internet content accounting for 27%. Another 22% went to developing audio and video assets on a company’s behalf. The share of marketing budgets going to custom media was at 32% in 2009, the highest share ever, beating the previous bar set at 27% in 2007.

Customize your voice, promote your niche, and engage more personally with great content while adding local relevancy. And of course – provide multiple choice, creative, rich content and multiple media formats for a growing customer base to rejuvenate brands and grow an audience, revenues and business.

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